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Study Links DEHP and DiNP Phthalates to Nearly 2 Million Premature Births in 2018
A global study estimates these phthalates caused nearly 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths in 2018, highlighting widespread exposure risks.
- On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a new study published in eClinicalMedicine linked DEHP and DiNP to nearly 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths worldwide in 2018.
- Known as "everywhere chemicals," phthalates like DEHP and DiNP are used in food containers and cosmetics but interfere with hormone production and development in fetuses.
- The Middle East and South Asia represent 54 percent of estimated preterm illness from phthalate exposure, while medical costs for these births range between $1.6 billion and $8.1 billion globally.
- Study senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU Grossman School of Medicine stated these results "demonstrate the need to regulate phthalates as a class," warning of a "dangerous game of Whac-A-Mole."
- These findings support international efforts to negotiate a plastic treaty that limits chemicals of concern, as researchers call for stronger, class-wide oversight to prevent repeating past regulatory mistakes.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Chemicals in plastics: nearly two million premature births and thousands of infant deaths
Two chemicals used to make plastic more flexible are linked to nearly 2 million premature births and the death of 74,000 newborns worldwide in 2018, according to a new study.
Preterm births linked to 'hormone disruptor' chemicals may cost united states billions
Daily exposure to chemicals used in the manufacture of plastic food containers and many cosmetics may be tied to nearly 56,600 preterm births in the U.S. in 2018, a new study shows. The resulting medical costs, the authors of the report say, were estimated to reach a minimum of $1.6 billion and as much as $8.1 billion over the lifetime of the children.
A study, published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the United States (NIEHS in English), found that two microplastics would be linked to 2 million premature births and more than 70,000 neonatal deaths globally in 2018. It is the di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and its derivative the diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), used to make plastic more flexible, but has also been found to affect the endocrine system, and are relat…
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